Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.5

The Atticus Institute Blu-ray Movie Review

Is anyone still fond of found footage?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 17, 2015

Is there more to man than man has been led to believe? Are there innate powers that may be dubbed "supernatural" that exist within everyone, waiting, yearning to escape? Are these powers limited to a particular subset of people, individuals who, for whatever reason, are "gifted" with powers normally reserved for the realms of fantasy, Science Fiction, and distant aliens? Or are abilities like telekinesis, extrasensory perception, and other terrifying abnormalities all the stuff of make-believe? The Atticus Institute would have its audience believe that these powers do exist, and that they're far more dangerous than the ability to see hidden items or control objects with the mind. The film, cobbled together Documentary-style with video and photographic recreations of late 1970s experimentation on a particularly adept subject, strives for authenticity of presentation in its story that just may lead its audience to believe that, indeed, there's more going on in the darkest corners of shadow government than the public has been led to believe.

Going to extremes.

Dr. Henry West founded The Atticus Institute to study telekinesis, clairvoyance, and other psi-related phenomena. Thousands of subjects were tested using the scientific method, many of whom expressed supernatural abilities that defied explanation by known physical laws. The small parapsychology lab operated for nearly a decade until it was mysteriously shut down in November of 1976 by the U.S. government.
When Dr. West's (William Mapother) "Atticus Institute" received a new patient by the name of Judith Winstead (Rya Kihlstedt) in 1976, she was described as a typical, unassuming female, one nobody would expect to be the carrier of a powerful extra-human force beyond even the institute's ability to comprehend and control. She exhibited signs of heightened extrasensory awareness and powerful telekinesis, but it soon became clear that her powers were well beyond simple object manipulation and insight into the unknown. Not long after her arrival, the military took over the operation, testing her ability and pushing her further in hopes of using her as the ultimate weapon.

When The Blair Witch Project debuted in 1999 and the Internet was, while not in its infancy, certainly in the beginning stages of wider usage and easier access, that "found footage" movie managed to release as something of a mystery. It was also a time when the "found footage" movie was itself relatively new, and the idea was novel to the point that people weren't quite sure whether it was real of some fictional creation of a creative mind. Fast-forward about 15 years. The Internet has become sewn into the world's fabric and the "found footage" genre has been done to death to the point new releases seem to be popping up at least monthly, if not more frequently, and with no fanfare beyond "here we go again." The point is that, while The Atticus Institute means well, there's just no more room for movies of this sort to sell the illusion hook, line, and sinker. Today's always-connected movie fans are a smart, discerning, savvy bunch that know every angle of the business and will certainly not believe the movie to be anything more than a work of pure fiction. The filmmakers themselves admit in the Blu-ray supplements that they expect their film to work best when it's seen not in its entirety, but rather when someone catches it halfway through on television, appearing to imply that the documentary style will sell their illusion more so than the story in its entirety. That doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in the full product and it seems to signal a surrender, of sorts, that these movies are no longer viable as full productions that the audience will believe to be the real deal as some did back in 1999 when Blair Witch was all the rage.

The film does admittedly look more like an authentic documentary rather than a motion picture, so credit goes to the filmmakers for playing to its strength, even if admitting as much seems like a concession that the "found footage" bubble has burst. The filmmakers have assembled a film with believably authentic 1970s wavy video footage and modern HD retrospective interview clips. Certainly, though, viewers will be smart enough to know that, even going on 40 years since this all "supposedly" happened, there's no way the government would let it leak out like this (although it's such a behemoth nothing coming out of it would surprise anymore). Nevertheless, it feels reasonably authentic and makes for a mildly entertaining watch. Those interested in the paranormal, conspiracy theorists, and Peter Venkman will enjoy. More, the movie is well acted to the point that the performances blend seamlessly into the context, whether that context be "in action" footage from back in the day or the newly crafted interviews in which various individuals involved in, or in some way close to, the Institute recall the people and occurrences that took place in the 1970s.

The Atticus Institute Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For a movie pieced together from a variety of sources and styles, The Atticus Institute's Blu-ray fares rather well within its context. Certainly, the only real pieces of video on which the transfer can be judged are its HD interview segments, which offer a satisfyingly clear, robust image with natural colors and sharp, well-defined details. Absent are excessive examples of blockiness or background banding. The rest of the film is made of deliberately worn, degraded, and otherwise poor-quality sources. Whether bits of old , damaged film or wavy, poorly defined, and inaccurately colored video, there are a number of scenes that viewers will watch that are deliberately devoid of classic "eye candy" in an effort to recreate the era, not spoil the visual senses. There are also a number of damaged and faded photographs that noticeably produce pale, purplish black levels. In essence, the movie is sort of like a WWE Blu-ray that's mostly made of vintage footage and supported by some scattered, newly crafted HD interviews.

The Atticus Institute Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Atticus Institute features an active Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Big screams and screeches are regulars that enjoy sharp, piercing, and largely accurate presentation, though as is always the case with "found footage" the juxtaposition of junk video and professionally mixed audio doesn't blend very well. Music is deep and nicely spaced, with tight bass and quality front-end presence. The track features a good number of aggressive effects, such as a fist pounding on a table and a few bits of general chaos when things get rough with Judith. The track additionally features some quality ambience, largely in the way of 70s equipment softly humming in the background. Dialogue is firm and clear in the new interview clips and satisfyingly presented in the "old" video segments.

The Atticus Institute Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Atticus Institute contains a featurette and deleted scenes.

• The Making of The Atticus Institute (1080p, 9:04): A look at the film's origins, structure, story, the picture's authentic feel and real documentary flavor, cast and performances, Director Chris Sparling's work, and more.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 7:19): Scenes include The Lawsuit, The Origins of Atticus, The Therapist Tapes, and The Truth.

The Atticus Institute Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Atticus Institute doesn't bring much to the "found footage" genre. It's reasonably entertaining and well made -- convincing in its appearance in particular -- but it's part of a genre that's wearing out its welcome with the flood of clones coming to market over the last decade-plus. The movie in question satisfies core genre requirements, and truth be told is a bit better than many of it peers, but the illusion is all but gone from these sorts of movies. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of The Atticus Institute features solid video, strong audio, and a couple of extras. Rent it.